4. Preparation for the Parade (3)

“You’re going to participate in the military parade?”

Wilhelm asked me back urgently.

“Yes, Gaju-nim.”

“You know the meaning of the military parade well, considering what happened last year. Are you saying you’ll participate again despite that?”

The military parade. It’s a ceremony where the continent’s strongest White Night Knights and Essenmund’s elite forces gather to show off their military might.

Essenmund is a frontier where the threat of magical beasts always exists. So, the actual troops participating in the military parade are less than 10% of the Essenmund army.

But even that small number of troops was incredibly dignified, befitting the strongest on the continent.

To briefly summarize the order of the military parade: the Knight Commander stands before Wilhelm, the Margrave, as the representative and reports on the war situation of the past year.

Following that, the knights and soldiers once again swear allegiance to the Margrave, the owner of the Essenmund territory. After that, meritorious services are rewarded by the Margrave.

‘And the military parade has another meaning for the Margrave’s successor.’

The military parade wasn’t just a showy event. The successor, after coming of age, had to stand before the elite troops and prove their qualifications as the official successor.

“To exchange one strike with the Knight Commander at the center of the gathered elite troops. That is the condition to become the official successor of the Margrave.”

“You know it well. But…”

A look of concern momentarily crossed the Margrave’s face.

“The commander of the White Night Knights, Michael, is a strongman who has reached the realm of a master. Even a single strike of a sword from a knight of that skill has a different weight. Even if it doesn’t contain Aura. Didn’t you run away last year because you knew that so well?”

Last year’s military parade. At that time, Yulian couldn’t withstand Commander Michael’s one strike and ran away.

No, in fact, he couldn’t even stand before Commander Michael. He was terrified just by seeing the White Night Knights approaching in formation from afar and ran away.

He was exactly like a bully, weak to the strong and strong to the weak.

“That’s right. But this time will be different.”

“That’s a good attitude. But you still haven’t been able to draw out the Mana within your body, have you? If pure Mana can’t support you, you won’t be able to withstand the sharp killing intent of the White Night Knights and elite soldiers. Frankly speaking, it’s too much for you, who is no different from an ordinary person.”

“I know that too. That’s why I have a favor to ask of you, Gaju-nim.”

“A favor?”

“My escort knight. I would like to receive help from Uriel-kyung.”

I brought up the main point. Mana stimulation through Uriel, a skilled knight. I explained that to Wilhelm.

“Hmm… Mana stimulation, is it. That’s a good idea. But didn’t that method also fail after being tried on you before?”

Mana stimulation required direct physical contact between the person performing the stimulation and the person receiving it.

Naturally, the best efficiency was achieved when the stimulation was performed naked. But since it was embarrassing for each other, they wore at least minimal clothing.

‘So, the delinquent Yulian declared that he would never receive Mana stimulation from a male knight, no matter what. He would only receive it from a woman.’

Wilhelm, who had extreme love for his grandson, reluctantly granted that request. However, the condition was that Yulian would never make sexual contact with the female knights.

But the delinquent Yulian couldn’t possibly keep that promise. Several female knights were humiliated by Yulian, and it became a mess.

So, it seemed that Wilhelm Margrave didn’t even bring up the subject of stimulation to Uriel, the current escort knight.

“Hmm. Because you didn’t keep your promise before… there’s no one among the female knights of the White Night Knights who would grant your wish. If you desperately ask, you might be able to get one or two male knights…”

I absolutely refuse that too. On this point, the delinquent Yulian and I agreed.

“That’s why I specifically requested Uriel-kyung first. If I were to do something absurd, wouldn’t Uriel-kyung cut off my head first?”

“No!! That’s absolutely not allowed. You are Reinhardt’s only successor. Don’t say such things even as a joke.”

“I understand. I’m just saying that’s how determined I am. If I make such a mistake again, please punish me directly, Gaju-nim.”

Wilhelm’s eyes changed at my words.

“Really, Yulian? Then I want to see your determination. Surely, even if you’re a delinquent, you wouldn’t joke about something like this from the morning. If you did, I wouldn’t let you off, as you said.”

His eyes flashed for a moment. Wilhelm fearlessly glared at me with the fierce eyes of an angry lion.

It wasn’t an ordinary gaze. That gaze contained highly refined Mana, Aura.

‘Ugh… I have to endure.’

A chilling gaze like a ferocious beast. A terrifying gaze that could stop my breath right there.

‘The eyes of a skilled swordsman are this scary. I understand why Yulian ran away.’

I was literally a rabbit in front of a lion. But this was all according to my calculations.

After all, the Margrave knows well about his grandson’s inability to use Mana.

‘If it were the delinquent Yulian, he might suffer internal injuries from that gaze. He won’t keep that gaze on me for long. He’ll show mercy.’

As expected, it was as calculated. The moment I felt like I couldn’t endure any longer because all the energy in my body was drained. The Margrave withdrew that terrifying gaze.

“You couldn’t even face my gaze without Aura before, but you’ve changed.”

“I can’t stand at the military parade without this much determination.”

“It must have been hard to endure with your current body. I’ve seen your determination well.”

He said it calmly, but I saw the corners of the Margrave’s lips rising fully.

“I’ll talk to Uriel-kyung. Even though there was that incident last time, if I step in directly, she won’t be able to say much.”

“Don’t worry. I will never do anything impure to her first.”

That was true. I would never touch her first, ‘from my side’.

“However, minimal contact for Mana stimulation is unavoidable. I believe Uriel-kyung will understand that much.”

“Yes. As you said, that’s unavoidable. I understand. The military parade is not far away, so I’ll tell her quickly.”

As expected, Wilhelm Margrave was the best backer. I spent the rest of the breakfast time with him.

---

With the Margrave stepping in directly, things went smoothly. Before noon, Butler Liberto came to find me.

“Doryeon-nim. Gaju-nim has given instructions to Uriel-kyung.”

“I understand, Liberto.”

“Uriel-kyung will be at the training ground of the mansion. Shall I call her?”

“It’s alright. I’ll go find her myself.”

“Are you sure that’s alright?”

Liberto looked surprised again at those words. But I’m starting to get used to that reaction. I went to the training ground prepared in one part of the mansion.

As befitting the mansion of Wilhelm Margrave, a Grand Master, the training ground was spacious and well-equipped.

‘He must have wanted his only grandson to use this place diligently.’

Of course, Yulian shattered that expectation.

So, the Margrave instead allowed the poor escort knight, who had a bright future but was tied to a delinquent grandson, to use this place.

After all, within the mansion, the escort knight didn’t always need to follow Yulian around.

I was watching Uriel practice swordsmanship from a slight distance. It was a powerful swordsmanship that made the nearby air vibrate.

Her reddish-brown long hair, with slight curls, swayed every time she swung her sword.

It was even more beautiful because a pretty woman like Uriel was sweating and practicing seriously.

‘Compared to Aylin and Lilia, Uriel is also very pretty when I look at her like this.’

Today, she was practicing with her usual stiff armor off.

A tank top-like top that left her arms bare even in the middle of winter. So, Uriel’s voluminous chest line was revealed as is.

She didn’t have huge breasts like Lilia, but the healthy beauty was good to see. The overall silhouette of her body was also full of elasticity, exuding a lively charm.

‘She’s like an SNS influencer. That feeling of showing off her body in leggings.’

Of course, Uriel didn’t intend that. As expected of a skilled knight, she didn’t seem to feel the cold at all even in such light clothing.

The training ground was outdoors, so it was actually unspeakably cold…

Still, I came wearing special magic underwear that generated heat. It was bearable. After all, Seoul, where I originally lived, was also a cold place in winter.

Anyway, this meaningless sightseeing ends here. Since I’m ignorant about swordsmanship, watching like this won’t have any meaning beyond admiring Uriel’s appearance.

It’s time to move for the purpose of coming here.

I had 미리 purchased new traits with the system. There were a total of two traits.

——-

* Trait: Ordinary Mana Swordsman (B)

: You will open your eyes to the world of swordsmanship.

: Consumes 10 MP per hour

——-

This Ordinary Mana Swordsman and,

——-

* Trait: Ordinary Incubus (B)

: Intervenes in the dreams of the opposite sex who are conscious of you.

: Consumes 10 MP per hour

——-

Even the Incubus trait. Unlike Aesthetic Sense, both were classified as ordinary traits and only cost 10 GP.

‘Considering Yulian’s titles, it was a natural thing.’

Ordinary Mana Swordsman was directly related to the title ‘Successor of the Reinhardt Family’. And Ordinary Incubus was directly related to the title ‘Successor of the Demon King’.

In other words, it was closer to the potential Yulian originally had, so I could save on GP consumption.

According to the Demon King Slayer system, I could further develop traits with GP in the future, so it was good to save as much as possible.

I activated the Ordinary Mana Swordsman trait as is.

---

The Essenmund’s gale, known as the most fierce wind on the continent.

The gale was constantly raging in the training ground, which was open to the outside.

A knight with attractive reddish-brown hair, Uriel. She was diligently swinging her sword in the training ground.

As a knight, her realm was an Aura user.

As an Aura user, she was at the entry level, but it was still amazing that Uriel, who had just passed her adulthood for two years, had already reached that realm.

The White Night Knights, the continent’s most elite, was a place where you could only enter with thorough skill. Among them, Uriel was a promising prospect with a bright future.

Although it was a position that everyone avoided. The Margrave’s only successor’s escort would not be entrusted to an unskilled knight.

Of course, Uriel herself regarded that escort knight role as a disgraceful demotion. Until just a few days ago.

‘Yulian Baekjak… what on earth was that behavior in Reinheim?’

It was unlike his usual delinquent self.

He was considerate of Hans, the coachman, whom he used to mistreat so much. And he treated Otto, the commoner tailor, with respect.

Also, Yulian rented out the store and bought gifts for Aylin, the head maid. According to the owner of the clothing store, he even personally helped Aylin change clothes.

‘That noble young master doing such troublesome things that even servants would do… and it wasn’t just that.’

When she was waiting near the entrance of the clothing store.

The female owner of the store suddenly brought out expensive tea and refreshments for her. Leaving aside the refreshments, that tea called ‘Mint Chocolate’ was an absurd luxury in Essenmund.

She found out that Yulian had instructed the female owner to bring it from a high-end cafe at a high price.

‘Can a person change this much overnight…’

Even his appearance, which was always dirty, had changed to befitting a noble young master. To be honest, he was a jaw-droppingly handsome man.

She thought she had abandoned herself as a woman a long time ago.

But when she saw Yulian Baekjak changing into new clothes at Otto’s clothing store.

Uriel felt a feeling at that moment that she had never felt even among the many men of the White Night Knights.

Comparing that feeling to what people say, it was a kind of fluttering.

Of course, Uriel had only felt such feelings from the sword. So, it was absurd.

“Damn it!”

She was having too many stray thoughts. Uriel swung her sword even more fiercely to forget the Baekjak’s face that kept popping up in her head.

Even if she were to look favorably on him to some extent. To Uriel, such a weak man who couldn’t even hold a sword didn’t look like a man.

‘The pinnacle of martial arts, the Reinhardt family. How could such a weak successor come from that swordsmanship family.’

Perhaps the blood of the Baekjak’s mother, the Saintess Agnes, had a negative effect on the martial arts lineage.

If Yulian had even half of Wilhelm Margrave’s talent, or even half of half of it. She would be able to admit the current fluttering honestly.

‘But the Baekjak’s swordsmanship skills I saw at Pantheon…’

His skills were so worse than even the 10-year-old kids in Essenmund that her eyes almost rotted.

‘And to make matters worse, the Margrave personally asked me this morning to stimulate the Baekjak’s Mana. To stimulate with that man at a time like this…’

As she continued to swing her sword and try to shake off her 잡념, she suddenly heard a familiar man’s voice in the training ground.

“Uriel-kyung. Excuse me, but can you spare me some time?”

It was the sound of Yulian Baekjak calling her.